Carrier attachment for cutting-machines



(No Model.)

L t e e h S S t e e h S 2 S S O R E CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR CUTTING MACHINES.

Patented Jan. 13,1891.

INT/E 64mm g v St Attorney.

nowms screws cm, #HOTWLITNQ, WASHINGTON, n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMORE V. ROSS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR CUTTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,459, dated January 13, 1891.

Application filed January 17, 1888. Serial No. 260,995. No model.)

Toall whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMORE W. Ross, of Springfield, county of Clark, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carrier Attachments for Out-- tin g-llachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to carrier attachments to feed-cutters for taking the cut material as it is discharged from the cutting-machine and elevating and conveying the same to and depositing it at any desired point, as will be understood from the following description and claims, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings,,in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cuttingmachine with the inclined elevator or carrier and a portion of a horizontal extension of carrier applied. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view showing the connection of the horizontal carrier with the inclined carrier or elevator, with said parts arranged at an angle one with the other. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a section of the carrier with one of the side boards broken away in places to show the construction of the flooring. Fig. 3 shows a modification of some of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. at represents a section through the side supporting-plates and bearings for the first or main elevator-shaft, showing the latter in elevation. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the gear-plates of the attachment, showing the arrangement of the gearing for actuating the elevator. Figs. (5 and 7 are detail views, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view, showing the inclined carrier or elevator applied to carry straight away from the end of the cutting-machine.

A and A indicate the cutting-machine frame, which is of any usual construction, except that it is extended longitudinally beyond the cutting-cylinder to accommodate the attachment thereto underneath the cylinder of the lower end of the inclined carrier.

at indicates the shaft of the cutting-cylinder, to which motion is imparted in any usual manner, said shaft being extended at one side of the machine and carrying a sprocketwheel ct, from which motion is communicated to the carrier, as will appear.

tween and rest on the lower frame-timbers, as shown, one of them B (shown detached in Fig. 5) forming the gear-plate supporting the shaft 1), sprocket-wheel b, and bevel-gears b b and C for driving the shaft C, also journaled at one end in said plate B and at its opposite end in the plate B. The shaft 6 is supported in suitable bearings on the plate B, and is extended beyond the ends of said plate to permit the sprocket-wheel b to be secured to either end, according to the side of the cutting-machine on which the carrier is placed. A drive-chain a serves to connect the sprocket-wheel a with wheel I) for drivin g the shaft b. The bevel gears or pinions b b are feathered to the shaft 1) and are adapted to be moved endwise thereon, so that one or the other may be moved into gear with the bevel-gear 0 on the shaft 0, according to the side of the machine on which the carrier is arranged for giving the proper direction of rotation to the careier' shaft C. The pinions b and b can be held in the desired position on the shaft 1) by set-screws or other suitable device for preventing their accidental disarrangement. The shaft O is journaled in boxes (I, (see Figs. 4 and 6,) which are each in the form of a shouldered and flanged sleeve. The larger portion of the sleeve fits snugly in a perforation in the side plate, and is held therein by screws, rivets, or other suitable fasteniugs through the flange at the outer end of the sleeve and through the side plate 13 or B. The inner end (1' of the sleevebearing (1, projecting inside of the side plate, is of reduced diameter and forms a pivotal support for the side strap d of the carrierframe, thereby relieving the shaft C of the weight of the carrier and the friction of the straps (1 The outer ends of the hubs of the sprocket-wheels c c on the shaft 0 project 9 into the sleeves on the straps d and, being made of less diameter than said sleeves, rotate freely and without friction therein. By this construction of the bearing-sleeves d a strong and durable support is obtained for the first. or main carrier-shaft and the latter is relieved of unnecessary friction.

The plates l3 and 13 maybe detaehably secured to the frame A in any suitable manner and may connect the elevator with either side of the machine, or may be arranged to carry straight away from the end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 8. In this case the drive-chain a connects the sprocketwheel (1. directly with a sprocket-wheel a on the end of the shaft 0, which is shown extended beyond the side plate I) to receive said wheel. The upper longitudinal frametimbers of the cutter-frame have pendent hooks a secured to them, which connect with abjustable links or plates (2 on the sides of the carrier-frame, as shown in Fig. 2, for assisting in supporting and for changing the degree of elevation of the inclined carrier or elevator.

The carrier, aside from points hereinafter claimed, may be of any preferred construction, 1) indicating the side boards or frameplates thereof, D the flooring, and l) the endless slatted carrier.

E is a chute or hopper composed of a bot tom plate e and two triangularly-shaped side plates or boards c e, substantially identical with that shown detached in Fig. 7, for connecting the horizontal carrier with the inclined carrier or elevator. This hopper is placed below the cutting-cylinder, with its bottom c inclined outward toward the carrier and with the lower edges of the side boards e c resting on the upper edges of the side boards of the carrier for insuring the proper delivery of the cut material to the latter.

The chains of the endless carrier at the upper end of the latter pass over sprocket-wheels ff on a shaft F, which has one of both of its ends extended beyond its hearings on the carrier-frame to adapt it to receive a sprocket-- wheel F for driving a horizontal carrier, the side boards of which are indicated at G G. Where the horizontal carrier forms an extension arranged in the same vertical plane with the inclined carrier or elevator, the sprocketwhcel F is connected by a drive-chain f with a sprocket-wheel F 011 the first or main shaft l of the carrier, as shown in Fig. 1; but where the horizontal carrier is arranged at an angle to the elevator, as shown in Fig. 2, the side plate or board thereof adjacent to the end of the inclined carrier or elevator has a gear-plate II attached to it, having bearings for a shaft 71 carrying a sprocket wheel or wheels 7t and bevel-wheels 7L2 and Ir, similar in arrangementto those of the corresponding parts of gear-plate 13, above described, and for a like purpose. Where the horizontal carrier is along one, making the operation of it heavy, sprocket-wheels and connectingehains should be applied to both ends of the shafts F and G or 71.

G, Fig. 2, is the carrier-driving shaft, mounted in suitable hearings in the side plates G and provided at one end,proj ectin g through the gear-plate ll, with a bevel-gear g, with which either of the bGVQl-pllllOllS 71. 01 h may be engaged, according to the direction of rotation or movement it is desired to give to said shaft G and the carrier operated thereby.

Fig. 2 shows the carrier attached to the inclined carrier or elevator at a point intermediate its ends, and the gearing described adapts it to convey the material to either side of the inclined carrier or elevator, as may be desired. \Vhere such an arrangement is used and the sprocket-wheels, one of which is shown at g, instead of having the drive-chains of the carrier to pass around them, as they do when the sprocket-wheels are located at the ends of the carrier, work under the chains, the teeth rising to engage the latter, and as they engage the links thereof at an angle or in an inclined relation thereto there is a tendency to lift the links and throw them off the sprocket-wheel. To prevent this I arrange an idle-wheel i on a stud or pin secured to the side plate G over each sprocket-wheel g to engage or bear upon the links of the chain and hold them down in engagement with the driving sprocket-wheels 9, thereby insuring the operation of the carrier. \Vhere one end of the extension is attached to the end of the elevator, these idle-wheels will not be needed.

The carrier-frame is shown suspended from the upper end of the elevator-frame in Fig. 1 by uprightbars I I, which, if desired, may be provided with bearings for the shafts F and G, thereby tying said shafts and the elevator and horizontal carrier together in proper working relation. Similar bars may be used to connect shaft 7i with the shaft F in the arrangement of the parts, as shown in Fig. 53; but any suitable connections and supports may be used.

E indicates a hopper for insuring the' proper delivery of the material from the elevator to the carrier-extension.

The carrier is designed to deliver or discharge the cut material at different points in its length-as, for example, to different compartments of a silo above which the carrier may be arranged. To do this, sections J of the flooring G of the carrier are made removable,as shown in the enlarged view, Fig. 3, either bo'dily or by being hinged at one side, to swing down, as shown in Fig. 3. Thin metal strips j stride the openings thus formed and serve to uphold the carrier-chains g and prevent them from sagging, and thereby rendering the cross-bars g liable to be caught on the wall of the opening and broken. The strips j are set on edge in sockets in the transverse floor-timbers 9 directly under the carrier-ehains, and being made thin they do not interfere with the discharge of the material. In Fig. 3 the sections J simply rest at their edges on the bars g. They are shown as composed of three parts-via, a central or main portion between the strips j and side strips 3" j outside of the strips j.

In Fig. 3 the section J is hinged at one edge to the flooring-frame and has its swinging end beveled to match a corresponding bevel on the stationary edge wall of the opening, as shown. In the latter construction a sliding bolt or bolts '70 on the under side of the flooring serve to uphold the section J when the opening in the bottom of the carrier is closed.

\Vith removable floor-sections arranged at suitable intervals, as explained, the material may be discharged through any one of them, and thereby deposited at any desired point or points in the length of the carrier.

The operation of the several parts of the elevator and carrier attachment will be readily understood without further description.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new 1. In a removable carrier attachment to cutting-machines, the endless belt and the shaft thereof provided with a bevel-gear for actuating it, in combination with a removable gear-support therefor, a shaft thereon, and the bevel-gear adjustable on said shaft to engage the bevelrgear on the carriershaft for adapting said carrier to be applied to and operated from either side of the cutting-machine, said gear-support being adjustable and to said driving-shaft and provided with the carrier-driving sprocket-wheel, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the geansupport for the endless carrier, of the shouldered tubular box (Z, provided with a flange at one end, through which it is secured to said gearsupport, the endless-belt shaft journaled in said box, and the carrier-frame hinged on the shouldered end of said box, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the inclined endless carrier having the upper or outer endlessbelt shaft provided on its extended end with a driving sprocket-wheel, of a supplemental carrier driven therefrom and connected there with by a second sprocket wheel and chain, a shaft carrying said second sprocket-wheel and a bevel-wheel, and another bevel-wheel u on the roller-shaft of the supplemental carrier, all substantially as described.

5. The carrier provided with a flooring having removablc'sections and thin strips bridging the openings for said sections and leaving open spaces between said strips and the carrier-sides, so that the endless carrier is upheld by said strips, whereby the discharge of 

